Town Government
Boards & Commissions
What Boards & Commissions Are
Beyond the Select Board and the School Committee, much of Dennis’s governing happens on volunteer boards and commissions. They approve new development, hear zoning appeals, protect the wetlands and the coastline along Nantucket Sound and Cape Cod Bay, set the shellfish rules, weigh in on historic places, and guide services for residents. They are the rooms where an ordinary resident can have the most direct hand in a decision.
Most members are appointed by the Select Board and serve fixed terms. The meetings are public, seats open up regularly, and the town posts the vacancies itself.
Key Boards & Commissions
- Planning Board reviews subdivisions, site plans, and major development.
- Zoning Board of Appeals hears variances and special permits.
- Conservation Commission protects Dennis’s wetlands, ponds, and open space, and holds land the town has bought for that purpose.
- Finance Committee reviews the budget and advises Town Meeting on spending.
- Board of Health oversees inspections, septic and sewer rules, and public health.
- Shellfish Committee advises on the flats, the propagation program, and the recreational and commercial shellfish rules.
- Historical Commission and the Old Kings Highway and South Dennis Historic District committees review changes to buildings in the town’s historic districts.
- Advisory Committee on Disabilities works on equal access and ADA compliance across the town.
- Climate & Coastal Resiliency Advisory Committee and the Water Quality Advisory Committee take on the shoreline, the ponds, and the wastewater plan.
For the full roster, current members, vacancies, and schedules, see town.dennis.ma.us.
How to Serve
- Find an opening on the town’s Join a Board or Committee page.
- Submit a letter of interest or application to the Select Board office.
- Interview if asked, and await appointment by the Select Board.
- Serve: attend the public meetings and help make decisions for your town.
Serving on a board is one of the most direct ways to shape Dennis.